June 20, 2006 @ 2:56 pm

NBA Ballers: Phenom

Quibian Salazar-Moreno

EA Sports did it first with NBA Street and it was a success. And although Midway games came out with NBA Ballers soon after, which had more of the hip hop and street style to it, EA won with the game play and graphics. Since then, NBA Street has come out with two more games, but NBA Ballers is just now coming out with its second dose: NBA Ballers: Phenom, which features Detroit Pistons MVP Chauncey Billups on the cover, and hopefully a whole new experience to go along with it. The question still though: can it outdo its competition? Audio/Visual:
The graphics look fairly realistic, especially as it pertains to duplicating/imitating the movements of each ball player. The different environments are a decent re-creation of the Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Venice Beach areas. The only downfall is the sometimes inevitable glitches, like when your opponent looks like he’s carrying the ball when he’s supposed to be dribbling. You can’t steal it and it’s almost impossible to block when he goes up for a shot. Fortunately, whenever your controlled player has the ball, it works fine. right The game has its fair share of dope music, ranging from Jean Grae to Phife Dawg, and even Jin (huh?), to fulfill all flavor pallets. And, though Ludacris, Billups, and Jin all contribute their voices to further enhance your playing experience, the voice-overs overall could use a little help, especially when it comes to that of the main character. Controls:
If you’re used to playing the NBA Street series, you’ll notice some minor similarities between the two. The left analog stick moves around the player while the right analog stick gives you juke moves like crossovers and spins. The rest of the buttons allow you to shoot, pass, block, steal and other special moves. Mixing the analog sticks and buttons with the triggers, aka the "Juice" buttons, is supposed to create special movement as well, but unless you get specific moves down-packed, you’ll just end up quickly turning over the ball. Ultimate Hotness:
Some of the mini games included are also cool. There’s a spelling contest, where you spell names of some the NBA’s European players and you can help out Ludacris by joining his street team and plastering posters around Hollywood. The mini games help you earn credits which you need to enter tournaments. Overall Wackness:
The game play really needs some tweaking and the glitches really need to be taken care of. Test Drive Rating:
3.5/5

Article tags: NBA Ballers, NBA Ballers: Phenom 

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